Governor Jan Brewer has put the kibosh on Barack Obama’s unconstitutional, Dream Act “end run” around the US Congress by signing an executive order that will keep an estimated 80,000 illegal aliens off of Arizona welfare rolls.

In June, Barack Obama directed the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS)—a division of Homeland Security–to provide illegal aliens the means of deferring federal deportation orders. With this Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the president allows illegals who claim to have come to the United States as children to both avoid deportation and apply for US work permits in their state of residence by meeting any one of a number of conditions of eligibility.

Of course, as ICE Council president Chris Crane has already made clear, no illegal applying under the program is likely to be denied that eligibility. For according to Crane, “[ICE and Border Patrol] officers have been told there is no burden for the alien to prove anything.” If they say they qualify by having attended high school or taken a GED, their word cannot be questioned. They’re in!

Much of the major media claim that this presidential decree directing the executive branch to institute portions of the Dream Act (contrary to the will of Congress and the American people) came about via executive order. But that is NOT the case. Rather, Obama simply ignored the fact that the Dream Act had been 5 times voted down in Congress and issued a “demand-by-decree” that portions of the Act be implemented to suit his own political preferences. In short, he just TOLD Janet Napolitano what he wanted immigration-related agencies of the executive branch to accomplish, and the USCIS is getting it done.

But if, as many have claimed, the Deferred Action program will not put illegals further along the road to citizenship, why was Obama so eager to have it implemented?

Arizona immigration attorney and Dream Act supporter Jose Penalosa provides the answer when he states that individuals covered under Obama’s Deferred Action decree will be the proud members of a brand new “…specific, non-visa immigrant category…” This new, Immigration Department “approved” category will provide these individuals with a special, “authorized presence” within the state, according to Regina Jeffries, Chair of the Arizona Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

And members of this new “immigrant category” could use that “authorized presence” to do something no other illegal alien in Arizona can do: that is, legally apply for an Arizona driver’s license, the “…gateway to public benefits in the state.” As Governor Brewer’s spokesman Matthew Benson puts it, “If the state doesn’t have the authority to block these illegal aliens from getting driver’s licenses our agencies will have no way of knowing who is entitled to public benefits.”

But Brewer’s executive order was specifically designed to “…bar people with deferred status from obtaining driver’s licenses or other state benefits.” The two page document therefore blocks the access of these “specially authorized” illegals to the entire welfare system of the state of Arizona! And as a result, Obama is prevented from using the tax dollars of Arizonans to purchase the votes of grateful Latinos!

Over the weekend, Nebraska joined Arizona in denying state benefits to illegals with deferred status. Will other Republican governors have the courage to join the fight?

Comments

Governor Jan Brewer is one of the gutsiest governors in the whole Union!! Governor Dave Heineman of Nebraska is doing the right thing by following suit. I only hope every other state in the Union will do likewise. Cut 'em off at the pass!!! BHO wants to play hardball, well, our governors can play hardball, too!!!